Page 31 of In Love with a Ranger

“Yes.”

“And y’all are both good with this?”

“I don’t think Christina is the type of person that can be brow-beaten into doing something she doesn’t want to.”

“I agree, but she’s also a people pleaser and a soft-hearted person – and you are a wounded vet on crutches, which could play on those heartstrings. You didn’t use that to your advantage, did you?”

“No,” he balked and hesitated. “I told her the truth, that I was scared and would never do her wrong.”

“And it’s the truth?”

“I don’t lie. I may be a jerk at times, hard-headed, or stuck-up according to my sisters, but I don’t lie and sure wouldn’t coerce someone I care about into marrying me.”

“Do you love her?”

“No,” he whispered guiltily, not avoiding the other man’s eyes. “Not yet, but I think I could… and I believe she hopes the same deep down inside. Now, I would prefer to keep the details of my marriage to Christina private – if that is all right with you.”

“Yup.”

“Then I think I’ll go wash my hands while we are waiting to sit down.”

Gideon was going to need to distance himself from the memory of Christina’s kiss to keep from crossing a line. Perhaps he’d feed the horses and brush them down quickly or find Ortega and help him instead. If they weren’t going hunting for a few more days, he was going to need something to expend some energy – and jogging a few miles wasn’t in the cards for a long time, nor sex with his new wife.

What was I thinking?

9

* * *

CHRISTINA

Christina could not stop thinking of Gideon – and that kiss. Never in her life had she been kissed so thoroughly or sweetly. Sure, she’d had a peck on the lips from a few guys, but no one ever acted like they were savoring the moment. He kept touching her cheek, talking to her, caressing her skin, almost like he was intent on making sure this was earth-shattering between them.

And he did not disappoint!

She went through the day’s chores, changed the music for the cows, logged her information, and no matter how she tried to distract herself – she couldn’t. He was the focus of her every waking thought in more ways than just that incredible kiss. That single kiss, combined with his smile, the way he cared for her when she was having a breakdown from exhaustion, and just his personality, was doing a number on her. Gideon, as a whole, was shaking her foundation, and she liked the idea.

It wasn’t like she was a prude or refused to be in a relationship. It was the exact opposite, in fact. She wanted to be a part of a loving couple, except part of the ‘couple’ kept falling short.

Dating was hard – and humbling.

She was supposed to be strong but gentle – and if one part was too much, she was considered ‘cold’ or ‘wimpy.’ She’d caught men in lies, giving her fake phone numbers or asking her to change her major because it wasn’t ‘feminine enough.’ If she paid half of dinner, the guy wanted to know why or flat out asked why she didn’t pay for the entire meal. If she didn’t offer to pay, he would ask if she was a feminist or if she expected him to carry the financial burden of dating. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever think that going out with someone was a ‘financial burden’ – nor should it be this hard. Those dates were ‘one-and-done’ events, souring her on the whole thing.

But then there was Gideon.

He was masculine without being overbearing. Smiling seemed to come naturally to him. He’d done a lot if the faint lines at the corners of his eyes were any indication. She liked the idea of someone being carefree enough to laugh easily because that meant he was generally happy. And that laugh made her toes curl, combined with the way he looked at her, made her feel practically dainty. He never spurned her for being such or if she was doing the opposite, like mucking the stalls or cleaning debris from hooves. No, in fact, he seemed to be grateful to have her around or enjoyed talking to her. Even when things seemed tense between them, it wasn’t because of arguments or differences. Rather, it was because she had been on edge because she was wildly attracted to him – and he seemed to share the feeling regarding her.

“Hey…”

Christina jumped guiltily at seeing Gideon standing there beside the table where she was getting ready to take samples, check the cow’s temperatures, and test other items that were definitely not of a ‘delicate nature.’ Nervously, she grabbed a pair of gloves and put them on, casually looking at him.

“Hey,” she said quietly, trying to act nonchalant – only to see his smile.

“Last time someone snapped rubber gloves at me, I was very uncomfortable and behind a curtain in the clinic on base.”

“I’m checking urine and fecal samples.”

“Such sexy talk…” he chuckled. “Do you need any help?”

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